2.19.2018

5 Conservatories to Visit in the Chicago Area

By the time February rolls around everyone in the Chicago area is ready for spring. Unfortunately for us spring is still a number of weeks away. When you need a little spring weather in your life there are several places to go and enjoy lovely weather without buying a plane ticket. That's where a visit to one of the amazing Chicago area conservatories is a must. They're beautiful all year round and a wonderful escape from the crazy winter weather.

Garfield Park ConservatoryChicago, ILThe big mac daddy of the conservatories in the Chicago area this west side institution is the perfect place to visit. Since it's so large you can definitely explore all the nooks and crannies the entire day. I shared my nice, warm visit earlier this month so head over to that post for all the beautiful photos.

Wilder Park ConservatoryElmhurst, ILThis was a new one for me. Earlier in January my family gifted my mom with a family photo session and Bethany found Wilder online, I surprisingly didn't even know it was there. It was a perfect little conservatory with a lovely water feature and rock formation. There were even elves hiding all over from the holiday season. Oak Park ConservatoryOak Park, ILTwo years ago I got the opportunity to visit during a museum conference. I see it every time we take 88 into the city and was excited to finally get the chance to visit. When you see it from the highway it doesn't look like it's large but it's actually quite good sized. Since it was still somewhat nice out when I visited we got to see their new outside children's garden area.

Lincoln Park ConservatoryThis is one of those place where I don't tend to seek it out specifically but always love stopping in while we're visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo. My favorite room in this conservatory is definitely the orchid room. Always gorgeous flowers in that room. Even in the winter it's great to pair your conservatory visit with a visit to the park or the zoo.

Bird Haven Greenhouse & ConservatoryJoliet, IL While Bird Haven is on the outskirts of the Chicagoland area it looks like it's definitely worth the hike. Covering about 3 acres this is definitely no small fry conservatory. I'll definitely be adding it to my list when I visit the museums in Joliet. Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also join me on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. In addition to life-capades and doing it for yourself, I love all things 'real life' so use the hashtag #museumfanatic on social media so I can see your beautiful unstaged life. Oh and on the top of the side bar to your right, you can follow me on Bloglovin or on social media to be alerted to each new post!